Michi: Don't Read This Post

If you're still reading, consider yourself warned.

Two more finishes, but I've decided after this weekend that I'm knitted out. Done. Put almost everything away. Not forever, just for now. Sometimes with an addiction, you just have to do it until you've got it out of your system. Like with Tetris.

I finished up the blue felted mittens. (pre-felting photo here) They're definitely a man's size. I cast on 44 stitches instead of 40, in order to try out a little felted Fair Isling. They're a little longer than the first felted pair, too.

I also finished up the Solf mittens while watching the last night of Olympic events. Once my knitting hiatus is over, I will definitely be making more of these!

Hello My Name is Hedgehog

and I'm a knitaholic.

I can't seem to stop myself. Here's another finish - and I've already started another felted pair! Waiting for them to shrink in the washer felt a little like Christmas Eve! They're made with Novita Huopanen yarn - more or less from the pattern on the band (less, given that I was using Finnish instructions!).

Solf/Sulva Mittens

Karhu and I both bought this kit two weeks ago here in Vaasa - it's an old pattern from Solf/Sulva. Once I figured out the cuff, the knitting was quick - two evenings for the cuff, another for the rest of the hand. I love the way the decrease happens at the top! I'm using the Swedish version of the pattern and it took me a few tries to get it right. The pattern is a little vague (make one - how?), but it might just be my language skills! For the hand, I ended up doing the following (and it looks like the photos): R1: K1FB K4 K2T (S1KW S1PW K these two together through the back) K3 K1FB K1; R2: K all

The cuff involves some tvåändstickning... Took me a while to figure this out, but I finally put a few different sets of instructions together and made it work. I realized first that tvåändstickning is basically Fair-Isling with twisting the carried yarns each time (thanks for the video, Michi!). Then I noticed that the stocking I'm making had a half-version of the braid on the Solf mittens. In that pattern, the braid is done by purling with the carried yarns in front (and twisted each time). THEN I noticed that there are similar braids in Latvian Mittens by Lizabeth Upitis. These braid are also made by purling with the yarn carried in front - twice. So, back to the Solf mittens - these braids are made by turning the work inside out and knitting with the yarns carried behind (on the front side of the work), twisting them, as well. Twice. The knitting version is quicker (for me, at least), but it does leave a hole in the side where the color changes happen. I'm going to cover that up with some sort of tassel, as suggested in the pattern.

Tvåändsstickning

For Karhu... I hope this helps!

Two Old Finishes and a New One

I acquired (as gifts and through de-stashing) tons of Patons Classic Wool yarn from my mom and my aunt over the holidays, and I think that I'm going to make a series of mittens in a variety of neutrals. For the first pair I modified SpillyJane's Quo Vadis pattern.

I don't think these count towards the 10 for 2o10, but I did finish two other pairs of mittens this weekend. The white lovikkas I started in 2oo8, and I just had to weave in the ends and do the embroidery. The grey ones were also started in 2oo8 and needed thumbs. I'd like to embroider something on them in yellow (there are little flecks of yellow in the yarn), but will wait until I decide who to give them to first!

It's ON

I have officially started my first pair of mittens. I chose the Minnesota Mittens from Folk Mittens by Marcia Lewandowski. So far it has involved learning a technique - tvåändsstickning (also called twined knitting, it's a Swedish two-end knitting that gives you a very tight, windproof fabric). Thank goodness for YouTube and Ravelry! Tvåändsstickning is still a bit tricky, as I haven't figured out a good way to keep the two ends of the yarn from becoming hopelessly tangled every couple of rounds, but man, are these going to be some warm mittens! I will hopefully have them finished before my ski trip the first week of March.

I've also had to figure out what the heck a thumb gore is and how to knit one. I think I'm doing ok, but I guess we'll see for sure by tomorrow.

While searching for videos on these new techniques, I came across the following video. It made me giggle and I just had to share. Happy knitting!

#2

These are mittens for my sister, she has her birthday today! Started them Friday night, finished Sunday morning. The yarn is new Novita, Kukkaketo (Flower field) and the colour is called Ruusu (Rose). Just the right colour for my sis.